"Beypazari" Beypazari by mindcrime

Beypazari Travel Guide: 25 reviews and 114 photos

Beypazari as seen from Hidirlik hill - Beypazari

Beypazari is a small town (50,000 inhabitants) 100kilometres west of Ankara. It is located on the old highway Ankara-Istanbul but also on the ancient caravan silk road (we noticed a hotel in the city with this name). For many years it was just an ordinary old town that was producing just fruits and vegetables (and carrots, many carrots) for the big cities but after a great architectural renovation of the old houses it turned into a picturesque touristic town. The local authorities have made great job and in our days many locals are focused in tourism but in a good non aggressive way, we had some lovely chats with some of them that were always friendly with us no matter if we wanted to buy something or not.

People from Ankara visit Beypazari for a daytrip, the town has a lot of visitors during weekends when the central streets turn into a big market. We spend many hours wandering around, tasting and buying local products (the prices are great too). Beypazari in turkish means Gentleman’s market as since the Ottoman era it was always near a big military base that was feeding the local economy by buying their supplies from the town.

We also walked along the streets, checking the architecture, visiting museums(yes, there are some!) and mosques (there are some old ones, Sultan Alaedin mosque dates from 13th century) but also tasting great food in local restaurant (and the best dessert in Turkey which is hosmerim!). Last but not least we had great hilltop view of the town from Hidirlik Tepesi.

You can also overnight here and spend some extra time in the general area like in Inozu valley, there’s a path next to the river but also numerous cafes and restaurants. 32km away is located the Black Lake (Karagol), an interesting area up in the mountains (it’s cold but beautiful when it’s covered by snow) if you want a peaceful area to stay for a night and have no noise around you except the nature.

Sultan Alaaddin mosque

What I didn’t know before our visit there was that the city was important since the ancient times although by looking at the map you understand why, Beypazari was always in the middle between Istanbul and Bagdat (part of the silk road etc)!

It used called Lagania (in ancient greek) when Hittites settled in the area (lagania means rocky peak in luvian language) and then Phrygians, romans, and byzantines followed. The city was also called Anastiopolis (city of Anastasios) for a short period, when the byzantine emperor Anastasios I (491-518) visited the city and gave it his name (the city was episcopacy’s center)! Seljuk Turks came later (early 12th century) during Sultan Alparslan reign when several Turcoman tribes migrated around, especially the tribe of Kayi that settled in the general area given many areas by the Sultan. They were under the command of Gazi Gunduzalp who is buried at Hirkatepe village near Beypazari town (Gunduzalp was the grandfather of Osman Bey, the founder of the Ottomans).

Pros and Cons

Pros:picturesque small town, great food
Cons:none!

Last visit to Beypazari: Apr 2011
Intro Written May 16, 2011
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Reviews (14)

silver Shopping (3)

Beypazari is famous it’s silver production and although there’s no silver in the area they have a long tradition of... more travel advice

local food Shopping (3)

During weekends not only the stores but also many locals with stalls will provide for the visitors many local products,... more travel advice

shopping at Bazaar Shopping (3)

Don’t forget to bring some cash with you even if you don’t like shopping. Prices are very reasonable in Beypazari and... more travel advice

Karagol (Black lake) Off The Beaten Path (2)

Karagol is located 32km away from Beypazari, and 129km from Ankara. Karagol means Black Lake and it’s a very common... more travel advice

Restaurants (1)
Tas Mektep
Things to Do (6)
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Written May 20, 2011

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Comments (3)

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Aitana Jun 11, 2011 at 5:10 AM

Great page, K. I would enjoy so much the bazaar and the restaurant!
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nicolaitan May 30, 2011 at 2:32 PM

great village. LOVE THE CARROT. decent mosque interior also - find their interiors elegant without the depiction of human forms.
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nickandchris May 24, 2011 at 2:24 PM

What an excellent page. Lovely photos, I particularly liked the market stalls with their array of foods.Shall look at your other pages soon.